Residents Raise Safety Concerns After Contractor Creates Cliff in St. Charles County Subdivision
Date Posted: July 25, 2022
Posted In: News,
From KSDK: Residents of a St. Charles County subdivision are upset after construction crews created a cliff in their backyard, but contractors said the solution isn’t as simple as finding someone to put up a fence.
When Drew and Emily Dickherber moved to O’Fallon, Missouri, five years ago, they chose the Brookside subdivision for one reason.
“Everyone’s got kids around the same age,” said Emily Dickherber. “Our kids all play wonderfully together.”
“Having a bunch of young families with a bunch of young kids, we can just let our kids run between the houses. It’s been great,” said Drew Dickherber.
Though they always knew the area was primed for development they never imagined how the scale of the work would impact their community.
“Homes are exploding out here, in this area,” said Drew Dickherber. “To build the subdivision behind us, they have had to grade it down so much that it’s probably a 30-40ft. drop in our backyard right now.”
“It’s becoming a definite safety issue,” said Emily Dickherber.
Concerned about the safety of the kids in the community, the Dickherber’s reached out to leaders with the city of O’Fallon as well as the builder, Lombardo Homes, who installed a small barrier near the ledge.
“Right now, no one feels comfortable with our children playing in the backyard,” said Emily Dickherber. “Really, that (small barrier is) not going to stop anyone from falling.”
Plans submitted by Lombardo Homes and approved by the city of O’Fallon show a retaining wall is scheduled to be built in the area.